Learn your blood group at home
Doctors claim that a person's blood group is individual, as the individual antigenic characteristics of erythrocytes are described in this way with the help of special markings. How to find out your blood type, and is it possible to do it at home?
Blood group and its types
It is customary for medical specialists to combine the blood of different people into certain groups. The most common system for such gradation is the ABO system - a-b-zero. It is based on immunogenetic features of blood, which everyone has in the form of antigens. They can be found in erythrocytes, leukocytes, platelets, and plasma. Those antigens that are in erythrocytes are called agglutinogens, and agglutinins (antibodies) are located in plasma.
Depending on the content of antigens or antibodies in a person's blood, you can find out both his group and his Rh factor:
Group 1 is characterized by having no antigens in erythrocytes, but having antibodies in plasma. It is customary to mark it with "0".
Group 2 contains antigen A and antibodies B.
Group 3 includes antigen B and antibodies A.
Group 4 combines antigens A and B, not having antibodies.
The second system of classification of human blood is the Rhesus system. It is based on the determination of a protein in erythrocytes, which also plays the role of an antigen. The mechanism for determining Rhesus is quite simple: if the protein is present on the surface of erythrocytes, then this is a positive result, if it is absent, it is negative.
Thus, according to its type, each of the four groups carries positive or negative Rh. That is, one of the eight types of blood can be detected in a person.
We find out our blood group at home
1. Purchase an express test for blood group determination at home
2. Familiarize yourself with the instructions for conducting an express test at home
3. Prepare the place for the mini-examination: clean the surface on which the reaction will be carried out
4. Wash your hands (you will need one of your fingers, usually the index finger of the left hand).
5. Take out a sterile disinfecting napkin and use it to treat the place of the future puncture for blood sampling.
6. Open the cap of the auto-needle and make a puncture, wait a while until a drop of blood of the required size (for example, from a match head) collects on the surface of the skin of the finger, wipe the wound with a disinfecting napkin.
7. Collect the formed drop in a plastic pipette.
8. From the pipette, squeeze its contents onto a cardboard test strip with reagents (you may need a few drops, so you need to massage your finger a little for additional blood flow, if it does not appear by itself).
9. Wait for the result and compare it with the visual diagram card.
As you already understood, this test works on the basis of the mechanism of laboratory determination of the group: an antigen is applied to a cardboard test strip, blood, mixing with it, gives a certain reaction. The result is checked according to the corresponding scheme attached to the instructions.
There are some rules that should be followed when conducting such an express test at home: it is necessary to check the integrity of the foil packaging, if it is damaged, the test cannot be used (incorrect test results are possible); all devices and reagents supplied in the kit should be used only once (the auto-needle can pierce the skin of the finger once, since after it is triggered, its prickly part automatically breaks off), do not neglect the use of a disinfecting wipe before and after piercing the skin of the finger, so that remove the excess blood and treat the wound. In this way, in a short period of time, you will be able to find out your blood type and rhesus, using a special express test that is intended for use at home. It is suitable for detecting the necessary data in babies, as well as bedridden patients, elderly people who, for reasons beyond their control, are unable to get to the laboratory or clinic.